Owner Case Study | Boskensoe Barns

Located three miles south of Falmouth, in the sought-after village of Mawnan Smith along an idyllic country lane, is a cluster of luxury boutique barn conversions. These five impressive converted barns are perfectly suited for family getaways, as they are situated on a picturesque working farm but have all the mod cons needed for a fantastic self-catering stay. 

Here we talk to owner Mark about his experience letting with Cornish Cottage Holidays so far and whether holiday letting is what he expected.

Letting with Cornish Cottage Holidays

How have you found running a holiday let?

On the whole, it is enjoyable and rewarding.  Always good to see guests enjoying the facilities we have provided to make their holiday special.

What was your motivation to get into holiday letting?

The barns were former agricultural buildings, used for cattle housing.  They were starting to become too small and not fit for purpose.  They also needed a lot of investment to keep them in good repair, which could not be justified by the return generated from farming.

Did you ever think about long-term letting instead?

Yes.  But although the outlay for furnished holiday lets was much greater, the potential returns outweighed the extra cost.

Why did you choose to let with an agency?

We did have some experience of letting, but this was limited to one, small, old-fashioned bungalow.  We had initially planned to use an agent for for a couple of years and then take the letting back in hand ourselves.  It was so easy to let with an agent though, so we decided to continue as it allowed us more time to concentrate on our farming business and our family.  Also, during covid it became apparent that we would not have been able to efficiently deal with the disruption to guests caused by cancellations due to lock-downs etc., which demonstrated that agents have uses other than purely getting guests in beds!

Is holiday letting what you expected?

Yes and no!

Running 5 lets (sleeping 26 people altogether) is more time consuming than we expected, but Bridget does put a lot of effort into making sure everything is perfect.

We had also expected to take on the cleaning ourselves after a period of using outside cleaners. However it became apparent that we wouldn’t be able to hire and retain enough staff to change all 5 barns every Friday, week in week out, to the high standard we and our guests expect.  Thankfully Kylie at All Change Cornwall has that covered.  This leaves us free to make sure hot tubs and BBQ’s are clean, welcome packs are well stocked, flowers are in place and anything needing attention in-between guests is sorted. Guests are also generally very friendly and reviews are positive (mostly!).

Do you have any tips for prospective owners thinking of getting into holiday letting?

Aim high, first impressions count, treat all guests as equally important, smile!

What kind of holiday makers come to your property?

All sorts, from all walks of life. Quite a lot from London and home counties in peak-season.  We have guests coming for everything from their yearly family holiday to special re-union holidays, walking holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and even honeymoons.

We are getting a lot of return guests now (some come 3 times a year!).  As we accept well behaved pets in 4 of our barns, we get a lot of dog owners, and this year even had one lovely lady who spent Christmas in one of our barns with her two siamese cats.

What makes Boskensoe Barns stand out?

We are a very clean and well-maintained site, set in green open-countryside on a working farm. We have worked closely with local architects, building contractors, suppliers and interior designers to make sure the basic framework of our barns is as good as it can be.  This gets guests attention when looking at listings of lots of different properties on lettings websites.

All of our barns have built-in music streaming with hi-fi quality speakers. Three of our barns have hot tubs and private gardens. Gas BBQ’s are provided, as is firewood for the wood burning stoves. We have 100kW of rooftop solar panels that help to provide the power for our barns, all of which are using Air Source Heat Pumps for the underfloor heating and hot water. The whole site has wi-fi coverage.  We have a very large car park with complimentary charging for up to four electric vehicles.

Children can run off excess energy in our play area, which has a large, wooden climbing frame and slide (and soon a swing) and any energetic dogs can run off their energy in our large, enclosed dog exercise area that covers an impressive two thirds of an acre. Our barns are decorated at Christmas, inside and out.  Inside, the barns are equipped with contemporary, Scandinavian style, designer furniture. Top-spec kitchens with all the equipment you need if guests want to be creative in the kitchen. Hotel grade beds and bedding, together with bath robes.

What makes this part of the UK special to you?

Bridget grew up on this farm and has lived here for most of her life. I have lived in Cornwall for over 25 years. We were married in the village church, overlooking the Helford River and Falmouth Bay, and our children are now growing up here. We have farmed here ourselves for almost 20 years and have now been holiday letting for almost 6 years. We can’t see ourselves going anywhere else!

Let your property with Cornish Cottage Holidays

Key to your holiday lets success is finding the right holiday letting agency in Cornwall for expert advice and support. With a team of industry experts like Cornish Cottage Holidays, who specialise in the self-catering holiday market can make all the difference to help secure those last minute bookings, maximise your property’s potential and make a profitable return.

With a local office in Redruth, plus a wider team at our national parent company, Sykes Holiday Cottages, we offer a winning combination of both local and national marketing. We really get to know you and your holiday property, meaning we offer an incredibly personal service.

We want letting your holiday home to be as enjoyable and effortless as possible for you, so we’ve created some helpful guides to answer any queries that you may have. Simply visit our Owner Advice Page to find out more.

Looking for more expert advice on holiday letting and last minute bookings? Give us a call on 01326 336773 (option 2) or download our free owners guide for more information.

Request your free owners guide